


i'm the fire in your eyes

by dizzyondreams



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, i mean what else am i supposed to write after today...answer me that kyoani, just kissin and talkin idk, please....post ep 12 bed sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 19:49:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2321267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dizzyondreams/pseuds/dizzyondreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the lights out, it was easier to lie next to Rin like this. Silent, apart from the hum of the ceiling fan, the muffled voices from the next room and the steady sound of Rin’s breath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i'm the fire in your eyes

With the lights out, it was easier to lie next to Rin like this. Silent, apart from the hum of the ceiling fan, the muffled voices from the next room and the steady sound of Rin’s breath. Haru wondered if he’d fallen asleep after their talk, wondered _how_ he could have fallen asleep after that, when every nerve ending on Haru’s body felt alight with _something_. Purpose? Or something simpler, baser than that? Rin’s words echoed in his head, keeping him awake and staring at the wall, like it could describe what he was feeling to him.

With a huff, Haru rolled onto his side, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling as his mind ticked over with all this new information. He thought of Rin on the beach, backlit by the sun, and the feel of the sand between his toes as he listened to Rin talk about his past. The white noise of the ocean wove through his thoughts, making him drowsy as he imagined Rin in this foreign country, still the same Rin who’d left all those years ago. He smiled as he recalled the story Rin had told him, trying to explain a sakura tree to kids who couldn’t understand him. _He’s brave_ , Haru thought suddenly, twisting his hands in the thin sheets. He snuck a glance over to where Rin was curled on his side, the jut of his bare shoulder visible. His heart swelled with that strange emotion again, and Haru tried to cling to it, tried to pick it apart. 

“Rin.” He whispered, hushed in the dark silence of the room. Rin didn’t stir, but Haru had the feeling he was awake. He was _too_ still, breaths too even to be anything but pretending to be asleep. “I know you’re awake.” He muttered, voice flat.

“You’ve always been able to tell.” Rin murmured, voice low. With a sigh, he shifted onto his side, eyes on Haru as he brought the blankets up to his chin. “What’s the matter?” He mumbled, eyes bright through the darkness. Haru felt his words dry up in his throat, and for some unknown reason was abruptly reminded of his first race against Rin, all those years ago.

“I was just thinking.” Haru said, voice raspy before he cleared his throat, shifting onto his side as well. It only occurred to him how small this bed really was, when they laid like this. Rin was only a few inches away from him; if Haru closed the gap between them…He shook the thought off, scolding himself for the momentary lapse in control.

“You’re always thinking.” Rin grumbled, not unkindly, and Haru felt the corner of his mouth twitch up in amusement. “Get some sleep,” Rin advised. “We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Haru said, but didn’t move, just held Rin’s gaze for a few seconds until he glanced away. It was hard to tell in the dark, but Haru thought Rin’s face was a little red. Maybe the realization of how small the bed really was had caught up on him. “Did you really mean that?” He asked, feeling brave all of a sudden.

“Mean what?” Rin shot back, gaze flicking back to Haru. He looked guarded, tense; like he was afraid Haru was going to throw his words back in his face. 

“About admiring me.” Haru murmured, watching at Rin’s expression shifted to something close to surprise.

“Well, yeah,” Rin muttered, sounding embarrassed as he glanced away again, shifting a little in the bed. His foot brushed Haru’s and he froze before pulling away. “I wouldn’t say something I don’t mean.” He mumbled, sneaking a glance at Haru before looking away again.

“I think a lot about the day I first met you.” Haru said carefully, words sounding clumsy in the still silence between them. Rin raised his eyebrows at him; like he was surprised Haru was bringing it up again. “I think I’ve liked you since then.” Haru said quietly, the words rolling off his tongue with frightening ease, despite the thudding of his heart in his chest. That odd feeling rose in his chest again as Rin blinked owlishly at him, and Haru felt his lips curve in a smile as he finally realised what it was. 

“What d’you mean?” Rin asked in a hushed voice, as if he was afraid of what Haru was going to say.

“I mean,” Haru muttered. “That I realised from then that I wanted to swim against you forever.” He glanced away, feeling stupid and very _Rin-like_. “I’ve always admired you too.” He finished, stopping himself before he said something ridiculous.

“Haru, I-” Rin sounded confused, and in an uncharacteristic move, Haru barrelled over him, interrupting.

“You said that without me you have nothing to aim for,” Haru blurted. “But without you, Rin, I have no-one to inspire me. When I swim against you I forget about everything but the race. You’re the only person who I’ve ever wanted to really win against…without you I have no _drive_.” He made himself stop there, afraid he’d said too much. He wasn’t used to speaking about his feelings like this, or speaking full stop. Normally Makoto handled things for him, let him stay silent while he talked, but Haru couldn’t stay silent about this. The intimate closeness of the bed, the way the streetlight outside slanted shadows across Rin’s sharp, graceful features. That feeling from before was threatening to choke him if he didn’t get his words out. “During that race,” He added. “The tournament. I felt something too, Rin.” 

Rin stared at him, mouth slack, looking absolutely dumbfounded as he processed Haru’s words. “What did you feel?” He said eventually. His gaze was gentle on Haru, like he already knew what he was going to say, and instead of telling him, instead of using his clumsy words, Haru moved forwards until he could cup his hand under Rin’s jaw and pull him close.

Rin made a low noise in the back of his throat as their lips met, satisfied and pleased, like he’d been waiting for this for a long time. Haru hummed, smiling into the kiss as his heart thudded hard in his chest. They broke apart, and Haru felt such a wave of fierce emotion for the boy in front of him, who’d taken him all this way to help him out of his slump, that he groaned and pulled him close again, sighing when Rin curled his fingers cautiously around his hips. He tilted his head, flicked his tongue over Rin’s bottom lip to deepen the kiss, and Rin made a small noise before parting his lips. He tasted like toothpaste, and Haru curled his fingers in Rin’s long, flyaway hair, aching to be closer.

They broke apart, Rin looked dazed and well kissed, a dumb grin spreading across his face as he traced circles over Haru’s hipbone where his shirt had ridden up. “That’s you admiring me, huh?” He asked, voice dropping low as he smirked. Haru rolled his eyes and shoved him in the chest lightly. If he wasn’t feeling so giddy himself, he would have made some barbed comment about Rin’s awful flirting, but he held it back. His lips felt warm and sensitive and he had to bite back a stupid grin which was threatening to stretch over his face.

“Rin, I-” He paused as he heard footsteps and voices outside the door, and didn’t continue until they’d moved on, the confusing babble of English fading away. “I want to apologise.” He said firmly, fingers curling in the low neckline of Rin’s tank top.

Rin’s eyes widened slightly, fingers stuttering in their gentle touch before picking back up again as he smiled lopsidedly. “You don’t have to…like I said before, I was pushing you-”

“Just accept it.” Haru muttered, before pulling him close to kiss again, a slow, gentle press of lips and tongues that made Haru’s chest ache and the hair stand up on his arms, that feeling from before thrumming through him. It _was_ purpose, in a sense. Rekindled by the boy currently sighing against his lips, holding him like he was something important, something precious. 

“I’m not glass, you know?” Haru mumbled, pressing his lips to Rin’s jaw and flicking his tongue out, tasting skin and salt, the faint chemical tang of aftershave. In retaliation, Rin snorted and pulled him closer roughly, and Haru smiled and arched into the warm, solid press of Rin’s body.

“I’ve wanted this for a while.” Rin muttered as he drew back, eyes soft and heavy on Haru. Haru ducked his head and made a small noise of confirmation.

“Me too.” He said quietly, trailing a hand down Rin’s side and smiling when he shied away with a laugh. “Maybe we should get some sleep.”

Rin huffed out a little laugh and pressed a kiss to the side of Haru’s mouth. “Maybe we should. I have somewhere to take you tomorrow.”

Haru frowned. “Where?”

“It’s a surprise.” Rin murmured and yawned, sounding lethargic and tired. “I think you’ll like it, though.” He added, and threw a lazy grin Haru’s way, making him scowl and turn over. Rin made an over exaggerated sound of sadness and curled up to his back, slinging an arm over his waist and pressing his face into the nape of Haru’s neck. When he spoke, his breath tickled Haru’s neck, making him squirm away a little. “Thank you.” He murmured, and Haru frowned into the darkness, mind working as he tried to understand what he meant.

“What for?” He asked finally, and was answered only by the deep, even breathing that told him Rin was truly asleep this time. He huffed a sound of frustration but shifted until he could curl his fingers around Rin’s hand across his stomach.

He lay like that for a long time, mulling things over, before finally slipping off to sleep in the early hours of the morning, the taste of Rin still on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope this isn't too ooc!! i'm still in a daze after today's episode tbh i'm Too Deep into rinharu to help myself....and i have no explanation for this fic i hope u enjoyed
> 
> title from night sky by chvrches !!


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